With Street Days, a film about the daily life of a junkie in Tbilisi, the independent republic of Georgia is up for a VPRO Tiger Award for the first time. It's also the first feature film for Levan Koguashvili (1973), who went back to his homeland for this project after seven years in New York.

Elevator Pitch'This is the story of a lost generation of Georgian thirty-somethings. These are people that grew up in the Soviet Union but can't find their place in the current situation. The previous regime is over, but the new system hasn't been built up yet. It's difficult to live in but interesting to film. They find solace in drink and drugs, but despite their cruel fate they maintain a certain humanity.'

Realism'To give the protagonist as realistic a character as possible, I worked with non-professional actors. Real people are more believable than actors, who are accustomed to wearing masks. For the casting I had some help from the police, who I walked around with for a few days. I also chose a classic approach: minimal editing in long held shots. And no shaky hand-held camera.'

The First Time'In New York I had already made a few documentaries and short films, so I really felt ready for this step. I didn't discount my experience with documentaries, in fact the opposite. I work without a storyboard and I like to get on with things quickly. In that way I give myself room for improvisation.'

GeorgiaAs I'd been away for seven years, I had to get used to the recently changed Georgian society. My ties have always been to Georgia. My New York documentaries were about the Georgian immigrants there. The film climate in Georgia is difficult, but it's also the same in New York. It's difficult for film all over the world. Georgian funds are limited; there isn't enough for more than three films per year.

Bright Future'My next film will be a tragi-comedy. I'm considering two projects. One is about a man that wants to get married but it doesn't work out, which gives a cross-section of Georgian society. The other is about the adventures of illegal immigrants in Brooklyn in which I look at New York from their perspective. These stories are just a starting point. My films are about big themes; about love or lack of love. The plot is important, because we're making these films for the public.' (PvdG)

FRONTLINE CLUB GEORGIA

Frontline Georgia is a media club that aims to serve as a politically-neutral venue for journalists, public officials, students, intellectuals come together in a dialogue over media, social, political and cultural issues important for Georgia and the region. Frontline Georgia holds panel discussions, screenings, exhibitions, conferences and master classes.

Frontline Georgia’s mission is to contribute to quality journalism and exchange of views. Its Events Program will bring together the key players and thinkers in politics and the media and give a member an opportunity not only to hear from experts but to ask questions and contribute to the discussion in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.

While there are other meeting places for important public discussions, Frontline Georgia is among the very few, where people from different ideological and political camps meet together. This neutrality has been one of the biggest achievements of the club, which operates in Georgia’s highly politicized and polarized social and media environment.

Ruth Olshan in her film portrays musicians who work with different approaches: a male choir searching and cultivating old folk songs in the Caucasus region, a female choir, a school dance company and musicians who enhance Georgian folk music. There is a common denominator that links the diverse protagonists in Olshan’s film: Singing, dancing and music are crucial elements of their lifestyle. Music is as important as “air to breath,” explains the director of the female choir . The subtle camera work discreetly catches moments and spontaneous encounters, showing that the rehearsals and the singing brings moments to these women where they are taken away from their normal course of life. For life in Rustavi, a small town near Tiflis, seems bleak. The industry is dead, the unemployment rate is enormous. You ask yourself how people can live. The choir women’s beauty and positive energy exude an affirmative sign of life, even in mournful moments. Men and women sing and dance both joy and sorrow off their chest. In Georgia, music seems to be omnipresent, almost existential. Even if a young singer does not think folk music is “sexy”, he still gets hooked. It gets under his skin. The film pays tribute to this fascination, vitality, and spiritedness.

IMPRESSUM

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